The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for September 30 to address a plea by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, who are seeking to overturn a Delhi High Court decision that declined to dismiss a defamation case against them. This legal battle stems from their comments alleging the wrongful deletion of 30 lakh voters from electoral rolls, claims that purportedly targeted specific communities.
The case, initiated by BJP leader Rajiv Babbar, accuses the AAP leaders of defaming the BJP by suggesting that the party was involved in voter list manipulations aimed at disenfranchising certain groups—a charge that Atishi and Kejriwal have contested. The High Court previously ruled that these allegations were “prima facie defamatory” and could have been intended to malign the BJP’s reputation to gain political advantage.
During the recent Supreme Court session, a bench led by Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti deferred the hearing due to procedural issues raised by Sonia Mathur, senior advocate for Rajiv Babbar, who noted that her client’s caveat was overlooked in the office report, and she was unable to respond appropriately due to the late service of the petition.
Abhishek Singhvi, representing Atishi and Kejriwal, confirmed readiness to proceed with arguments on the set date. The defamation proceedings involve not just Atishi and Kejriwal, but also other AAP members including former Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Gupta and party leader Manoj Kumar, all of whom had their initial plea dismissed by the High Court.
